A member of the state-operated Waste Management Corporation’s team collecting waste from door-to-door in capital city Malé has been assaulted by a group of armed men.

The police said the group, who bore wooden planks and steel bars, left him with injuries to his head and a broken left arm in Mahchangoalhi ward of the capital city.

Officers had not provided a reason for the dispute.

The Maldives Police Service’s media official said that they are investigating the matter.

The Waste Management Corporation (WAMCO) is also investing it.

The government banned private waste collection, a job usually taken up by the capital’s migrant population.

Residents were required to register for their services, and WAMCO’s teams now travel to households to transfer waste from the point of use to its disposal.